he ocean is flat calm, like a lake. The carpet of
stars and the bright moon are incredible. The
dolphins are playing with me,” reads my journal
entry. It was one of our first overnighters. Years later, I
vividly remember that perfect night; sitting in the cockpit,
feeling peacefully alone in the world, quiet except for the
sound of the boat cutting through the water, then the snuffling of the dolphins as they joined me.
Sailing under the stars is one of life’s greatest experiences. Not often do conditions combine to offer a perfect
night like the one I experienced. More often I found that the
night was interminably long and full of anxiety when I was
a novice; it took experience for me to enjoy night sailing.
Now it’s one of my favorite times in our 40-foot ketch,
Crossroads.
There are several things we’ve learned that are important to remember about night sailing.

that they know how to identify what the lights on other
boats mean. If you have radar, you’ll want to make sure it’s
working and everyone knows how to use it.
Have your passage plan well thought out. We like to
have a back-up plan, should the weather change and we
want to change our plans and find a place to anchor or
make harbor during the night. We want to know all of our
options ahead of time. Plans change with the wind; we
often end up somewhere other than where we intended.
Have charts set up for the stretch of coast you’re traveling. Even if you use a GPS chartplotter, this backup is essential. Some captains list shore lights likely to be seen, so that
the person on watch can keep his bearings.
A good flashlight for the person on watch is vital. We
like the LED kind as we’re not replacing batteries daily. A

Getting Ready
If you’re planning a long trip with overnighters, it’s a good
idea to do a practice overnighter in your local waters before
you take off.
If you can, plan your overnighter for a night with a full
moon; moonlight will make your travel easier. Of course,
the wind and the sea are the more important considerations.
To prepare for the dark, the need to keep things put
away is never more important. A carelessly flaked line, a
loose coffee cup or piece of equipment that could fall onto
the gunwales all are potential hazards. Everything that is
not essential to the operation of the boat should be stowed.
You’ll want to know that all your running lights are
working and that all the crew knows how to use them. And